Motorcycle Groups

Three Are Held

On Attempted
Murder Charge

By WILLIAM GRAFFAM
Chief, The Montgomery Bureau

DARNESTOWN - Shotgun
blasts into a house here Tuesday
night by three Landover youths,
described by police as “pagans,*’
resulted in assault with attempt
to murder and conspiracy charg-
. es.

“Pagan” is the name given
their group by a notorious mo-
torcycle gang active in the Vir-
ginla-Maryland area.

A Maryland State Police
spokesman said that Stephen Al-
vin Markle, 22, James Charles
Jackson, 21, and Gordon Wea-
therton, 20, all of Landover, had
\ been taken before a police mag-
' istrate in Rockville and ordered

held in the detention center under
$25,000 bond on the assault with
attempt to murder charge, and
$15,000 bond on the conspiracy
charge.

Montgomery County Police re-
ported that they were called to
the Donald Wagner residence on
Route 28 here at 5:30 pjn.

Police said that Markle had
gone to the Wagner home and
‘‘shot two shots from a shotgun
into the house of Wagner,** one
through a window and one shot
through a TV. He was then re-
ported as having taken an axe
and smashed another window as
well as a kitchen table. Total
damages were estimated at$250.

Montgomery County Police re-
ported that the victim was re-
luctant to get a warrant for the
arrest of the suspects.

The county police said they re-
ceived another call back at the
house at 11:30 p.m. “for sus-
pects shooting** and found Mar-
kle, Jackson and Weatherton
there.

The county officers reported
that the state police officers
were on the scene at the second

incident and that they carried
through with the warrant and ar-
rest procedures.

Markle was taken by police be-
fore the Silver Spring People’s
Court Wednesday and had his
case set Sept. 4 and his bond
continued. Weathertob and Jack-
son are set for appearance be-
fore the Rockville People’s Court
today.